1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic parking brake for keeping a vehicle parked and to an improved method for actuating an automatic parking brake.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Parking brakes are known in various versions in the prior art. Until now, vehicles have often used a mechanical parking brake, in which the driver actuates the parking brake of the vehicle via a grip bar and a cable. Recently, automatic parking brakes have also been proposed, in which the driver actuates the parking brake simply be pressing a button. The driver's wishes regarding the parking brake are delivered to a controller, which drives an electric motor, for instance, located on the brake piston in order to carry out the driver's wishes. It has proved disadvantageous, however, that because of an additional increase in volume, the parking brake has an influence on the service brake system. Moreover, in automatic parking brakes known at present, sensors are used for determining the position of the parking brake at the time, that is, the blocked state or the released state.